I like the thought that went into the card planning. The characters are deep and interesting. The sound effects are off putting to the point that it throws one out of the story.
The main story is a tower climb with a group. The second book is short, especially considering that there is a large review in chapter 25.1 .2 and .3.
I waited until book two for a review because I wanted to see if more story would be added. IMHO there is only so much that can be done with a tower climb. However, the author does a good job of adding things.